During the battle of Siffin, one day Imam Ali (a) was passing a dessert with his companions. They became thirsty and they ran out of water and the companions searched different directions for water. They did not find any water and their thirst grew up every moment.
Imam Ali (a) sidetracked in the dessert for a while; suddenly, he (a) saw a chapel, where a monk worshipped.
Imam Ali (a) told his companions to call the monk and let him know of their coming to his place. They called the monk. Imam Ali (a) went to the monk and asked, “Is there any water in this land you live?” The monk said, “no, there is no water near here, but you can find water two parasangs from here.”
Imam Ali (a) was riding a mule; so, he (a) turned its direction toward the qibla and pointed to a place near that chapel and told his companions, “dig that place!” They dug that place with whatever tool they had. Suddenly, they saw a large rock and told Imam (a), “O Amir al-Mu’minin (a)! here, there is a rock which cannot be broken by the pickaxe.” All the companions gathered and used all their powers; but, they could not do anything and the rock was still there in the ground.
Imam Ali (a) himself moved his fingers beneath the rock and moved it and then picked up and threw some meters away. They suddenly saw that white water emerged. They went near it and drank from it and it was very tasty, cold and clear. Then. Imam Ali (a) picked that rock and returned it to its previous place and ordered to cover it with soil so that nothing could be seen from it.
The monk who saw all this shouted, “O passengers, come to me!”
Imam Ali (a) and his companions went to the monk and Imam (a) leading his companions approached the monk. The monk addressed Imam (a), “are you the Messenger (s)?” Imam (a) answered, “no.” The monk asked, “are you an angel closed to God?” Imam (a) answered, “no.” The monk asked, “then, who are you?” Imam Ali (a) said, “I am the vicegerent of the Prophet (s), the Last of Messengers.” The monk said, “open your hands, so that I accept Islam for God by your hands.” Imam Ali (a) opened his hand and said to him, “testify to Oneness of God and the prophethood of the Prophet (s).”
The monk testified to the Oneness of God and the prophethood of the Prophet (s) and then said, “I testify that you are the vicegerent of the Messenger of God and deserved for people after him.”
Then he said, “this worshipping place I live in has been built only to recognize a man who moves that rock and brings water from beneath it. There were many monks here before me and they did not see such a person, but God bestowed upon me this blessing that I see you. In one of our books, we have seen words form our scholars that in this desert, there is a spring that a big rock is over it and no one knows about it; except the Messenger, or the vicegerent of the Prophet (s) and that God(Allah) has a friend who calls to the truth and the sign of that is finding the place of that rock and his power to move it. When I saw that you picked that bog rock, the important issue I was expecting was realized for me.” Tears of Imam Ali (a) flew down and said,
“Praise to God Who has mentioned my name in His books.” Then, Imam Ali (a) told his companions, “come forth and hear what this monk says.” They went forth and heard what the monk said and praised God. Then, they went toward Siffin and the monk followed them and was martyred in the battle of Siffin. Imam Ali (a) prayed over his body and they buried him and Imam (a) greatly asked for his forgiveness. (1)
Source :
(1) I’lam al-Wara, p. 178.
